Newswire

After season of ups, downs and a lot of miles, Pike prevails as top Shaw Western Region rookie

PAHRUMP, Nev. – Jake Pike’s first goal for his rookie season was just getting comfortable behind the wheel of his IMCA Modified. His second goal quickly became getting comfortable in victory lane. The 15-year-old from Pahrump, Nev., took the checkers in just his fifth start in the division, at Mohave Valley Raceway on March 16. He won at the same venue two months later and raced at 19 different tracks in five states on the way to earning the Shaw Race Cars Western Region rookie of the year award. “I did not expect to win that soon. I was still trying to get comfortable in the car and everything fell into place,” said Pike, a sophomore at Pahrump Valley High School and son of 2001 regional champion Jason Pike. “I started sixth, got to the lead and held on. My first IMCA Modified win is the biggest thing I’ve done in my life.” He’d raced in local modlite and mini dwarf classes before stepping up to a Modified, a 2010 Hughes Chassis purchased last fall [Read More]

DeRagon races to Arizona first by winning Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region ROY

PEORIA, Ariz. – Not long after IMCA made it official, the social media congratulations started rolling in for Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region rookie of the year Nathan DeRagon. From Peoria and the first Arizona driver to earn the regional Hobby Stock rookie prize, DeRagon totaled five wins and another top five finishes in just 18 freshman season starts. “The rules brought us in. I like being able to race at different tracks under the same set of rules,” said DeRagon, a native Californian. “We wanted to run for the state championship and regional rookie. We hit the midpoint of the season and had problems with the car but still won rookie of the year.” Travel buddy of ROY runner-up Scott Tenney, DeRagon had those mechanical issues figured out and finished the year with a flourish. He was a double winner at Canyon’s Dan Shepherd Memorial special, ran second and third at Cocopah Speedway, then ventured to Fairgrounds Speedway in Colorado to win twice on the final weekend of the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly [Read More]

Spadaro Jr. reigns as rookie of the year in EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region

WEATHERFORD, Texas – Sam Spadaro Jr. got a few practice laps in his dad’s factory stock under his belt last year. In his first competitive season, the quick learner outran his father Sam Sr. in the race for the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region rookie of the year award. “I worked on his car. Dad let me drive after the races at Stephenville and I caught the bug,” Spadaro said. “He bought a race-ready Stock Car, I raced a converted factory stock and it was awesome. The adrenaline rush never went away. I think about racing even when I’m at work or at school.” Nineteen years old and now studying business and finance at hometown Weatherford Community College, Spadaro notched four top-five finishes in his final 12 starts of the season. Tenth in the regional standings, Spadaro was the runner-up at Boyd Raceway, tied for seventh in the standings at 281 with his father and ended in 11th at Kennedale Speedway Park. “I liked the competition. I could go from track to [Read More]

Quick learner Adams collects top rookie award in Razor Chassis South Central Region

HASLET, Texas – Winning his first-ever IMCA Modified start at 281 Speedway? Unexpected. Winning at Abilene Speedway ahead of Josh McGaha in the defending regional champion’s old car? Even more so. Mark Adams made the quick transition from an IMCA Sunoco Stock Car to earn Razor Chassis South Central Region rookie of the year honors, traveling to six different tracks over the course of 35 starts. “I wanted to do something different this season and Josh said he wanted to sell his old car,” said Adams, who’d raced to E3 Spark Plugs Texas State honors and 11th place in national Stock Car standings last year. “Everything is quicker in a Modified but I’ve enjoyed it and I’ll run the same car (a 2016 CAM Chassis) next year.” From Haslet, Texas, Adams won his first Modified start at 281 on Feb. 8, returned to victory lane at Stephenville in June and ended the season as track champion. “281 is close to home and a good place to get seat time,” Adams said. “I knew the car would [Read More]

Auto racing safety pioneer Bill Simpson dies at 79

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Dec. 16) – Bill Simpson, a pioneer and innovator in auto racing safety, died Monday in Indianapolis at the age of 79. The founder of both Simpson Racing Products and Impact Racing, the California native was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2003 in recognition of his many contributions to the sport. A former driver himself, Simpson is credited with designing next generation helmets and other safety equipment, as well as the use of Nomex in the manufacture of fireproof racing suits. “It’s difficult to overstate the impact Bill Simpson had on motorsports,” said IMCA President Brett Root. “He was truly a visionary who made racing safer for thousands of competitors, from Saturday night dirt tracks to the super speedways.”

$44,250 in Chevrolet Performance bonuses paid to IMCA crate engine track champions

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Chevrolet Performance bonuses totaling $44,250 have been paid to IMCA drivers who won track championships while competing exclusively with crate engines in 2019. In all, 177 IMCA Modified, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod drivers received $250 checks, mailed this month from the IMCA home office. This was the third season in the latest three-year bonus agreement with Chevrolet Performance, which has now awarded more than $325,000 to eligible drivers over the course of the crate engine track championship program. Both the number of drivers receiving bonuses and the total bonus amount in 2019 were the most ever in the history of the program. “Chevrolet Performance is such an ally in the promotion of IMCA dirt track racing and their yearly bonus program speaks for itself,” said IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “IMCA racers continue to cash checks for championships while competing with a reliable and sustainable motor program.” Modified drivers who received bonuses for winning a track championship(s) while competing with a [Read More]

Tough competition sharpens Svoboda in battle for top Jet Racing Central Region rookie honors

DAVID CITY, Neb. – Wanting to be the best, Austin Svoboda raced against the best much of the season and was rewarded for his efforts with rookie of the year honors in IMCA’s Jet Racing Central Region for Modifieds. The David City, Neb., driver enjoyed a successful Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod career before making 44 starts in his freshman Modified campaign. He ran with national champion Jordan Grabouski on 27 of those nights and with regional runner-up Anthony Roth on 30 occasions. “I felt like I had accomplished everything I wanted to in a SportMod and that I was good enough to race a Modified. To race side-by-side with guys like Grabouski and Roth was awesome,” he said. “I want to be the best so I wanted to race the best. It’s harder to win but it makes you better. It’s what makes a fourth or fifth place finish feel like a win.” The son of Modified and Late Model veteran Tom Svoboda, he’d won seven Northern SportMod features each of the last two years, [Read More]

IMCA junior national championship announced for 2020

VINTON, Iowa – IMCA’s first junior national champion will be crowned in 2020. Drivers between the ages of 13 and 18 in all eight IMCA divisions will compete for the title, with point standings to be based on the best 20 finishes in their first 40 starts. The junior national champion will be given the same accolades as national champions in each of those divisions during the IMCA awards banquet in November and receive a trophy, ring and jacket. Top 10 drivers in junior national champion point standings each receive $500 scholarships applicable toward post-high school education in the first year of the program. Scholarship funds will be paid when drivers register for their first year of higher education. “This is something we’ve wanted to do for a while. This is a good time to get the junior national champion and scholarship fund established,” IMCA President Brett Root said. “It’s our way of helping build the sport and rewarding the participation of our youngest competitors.” “They’ll be able to race for their own national championship [Read More]

IMCA state champions receive Eibach awards

CORONA, Calif. – State champions in six IMCA divisions have received post-season awards from Eibach Springs. All 80-plus drivers winning IMCA Modified, IMCA Late Model, IMCA Sunoco Stock Car, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod state champions received $100 product certificates from the Corona, Calif., manufacturer. Six randomly selected state championship-winning drivers received sets of four springs. Those drivers are Kelsie Foley, Modifieds in Arizona; Dalton Simonsen, Late Models in Iowa; Austin Brauner, Stock Cars in Nebraska; Marc Minutolo, Hobby Stocks in New York; Luke Stallbaumer, Northern SportMods in Kansas; and Taylor Florio, Southern SportMods in Texas. The 2019 season was Eibach’s 11th as an IMCA sponsor and the first in which contingency awards were given to E3 Spark Plugs State champions. “The Eibach program this year includes six randomly selected complete sets of springs and recognizing these six winners is a great punctuation to a great season,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder noted. “We are very appreciative of Eibach for not only recognizing these six winners, but [Read More]

McBirnie’s Arizona Tour success kicks off Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod campaign

BOONE, Iowa – Jake McBirnie traveled to the sunny Southwest in February, looking forward to warm weather, having fun and doing a little racing. He did all that and then some, kicking off a successful 2019 Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod campaign with the Arizona Tour title. “Having success down there was great,” said McBirnie, who won three of the seven tour features. “The car was super fast.” Those checkers came at Arizona Speedway, Central Arizona Speedway and in the finale at USA Raceway. McBirnie tied with Brady Bjella in the points race and got the title nod on the basis of those three victories. “Our first win was on the second night of the tour. We changed stuff around and got better, and made a last-lap pass for the win,” he said. “The win at Casa Grande was big, then the next night we got caught up in a wreck at Canyon and still ended up sixth. We won the last race at Tucson and won the tour.” He’d return home to win hometown Boone [Read More]